Dave Duffy from Rossington, Doncaster sadly passed away peacefully at 7am on Friday 3rd January 2020 aged 91 years. Dave was still getting around slowly last year and still insisting pushing his wife Peggy about in her wheelchair. Dave had a short spell in hospital prior to Christmas with a chest infection but still managed to come out on Christmas day to visit the family and have lunch before returning to hospital later that day, sadly Dave never came back home.

I first met Dave in September 1989 when I was posted to the RAF camp in Finningley in Doncaster which turned out to be seven years. On my first day at work I rang Louis Ruddle and paid him a visit that night and the second night I visited Dave Duffy and from then I went with Dave to one or more aviaries every week. We both along with my father Ken visited every BS Club show together and as a family even stayed at Dave and Peggy’s house over the weekend for many, many years and became very close friends. Our family returned the hospitality for both Dave and Peggy to come and visit the Richards family in the North East, which Dave loved and always managed to get himself some budgies to take back with him to Doncaster.

I can recall some memorable experiences in the budgie hobby like the times we went to Germany on the coach to visit Joe Mannes, Alan Marchant for Daves first ever visit. The time we drove to Rob Lester’s aviary then thought it would be a good idea to visit a breeder in Bebington, Liverpool, sometime later we got in the car and Dave always said “Give Peggy a ring and tell her we on our way back and start tea” I said to Dad and Dave we are 3 hours away yet, Dave replied “Oh heck ring Peggy then and tell her we are going to be late”

Dave was the Yorkshire BS Past President in 1979 and Doncaster BS Past Chairman in 1988. Dave loved his Budgies and loved the company when we travelled to new aviaries around the country and it was my pleasure to be part of that company along with my father and family.

The funeral was on Thursday 23rd January at Cantley crematorium, then onto Wadworth Lane, cemetery in Rossington.

Can we all pass on our condolences to Peggy, Michael and Lillian and all their family?